In a network that includes a plurality of nodes and a number of links individually establishing couplings between nodes, a network management system (NMS) coupled to individual nodes determines paths on the network and accommodates (assigns) flows.
Specifically, in response to a flow setting request relating to data transmission from a transmission source node to a transmission destination node, the path design function of the network management system determines a path and accommodates a flow in accordance with constraint conditions such as a reachability condition, traffic capacity, a path length (hop count), and the like. In addition, the term “flow” is a flow of data, and may be translated into “session” or “path”.
In a path design method of the related art, for example, there has been known a technique in which a path minimizing a link cost between nodes is determined as an optimum path from among paths having a plurality of patterns. An example of documents that disclose such a technique is Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT Application) No. 2003-527039.